1
NUR 257 Exams 1–4 Tested Questions &
Answers with Rationales – Aging &
Chronic Illness | (2026/2027) PDF | Galen
NUR 257 Exam 1: Foundations of Aging & Chronic Illness
Q1: You are providing health education for a client who has a chronic venous stasis wound. Which
instruction should the nurse include?
• A) “Apply a heating pad to improve blood flow”
• B) “Refrain from crossing your legs and elevate legs when sitting”
• C) “Massage the area around the wound gently”
• D) “Cross your legs to increase venous pressure”
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Crossing your legs worsens venous problems by obstructing blood flow back to the heart,
which raises blood pressure in the veins and contributes to stasis ulcers. Keeping your legs up helps
blood drain and reduces swelling. Applying heat or massaging the area can damage sensitive tissue or
loosen a blood clot.
Q2: You are planning a staff education conference about IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living).
Which activity should the nurse include as an example?
• A) Bathing and dressing
• B) Shopping, preparing meals, doing housework, and taking medications
• C) Feeding and toileting
• D) Ambulating and transferring
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: IADLs are the more complex skills required for living independently in the community, such as
managing finances, handling transportation, shopping, preparing meals, and taking medications.
Q3: A 65-year-old client reports having multiple sexual partners in the last year and is concerned they
may be HIV positive. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?
• A) Ask them if they have any signs or symptoms of acute infection
• B) Immediately start antiretroviral therapy
pg. 1
,2
• C) Notify all sexual partners without the client’s consent
• D) Tell the client that older adults are not at risk for HIV
✅ Correct Answer: A
Rationale: An assessment is the first step. Older adults are often not screened for HIV, so it's important
to evaluate their symptoms if they express concern. Starting treatment or notifying partners would
come after testing and diagnosis.
Q4: Which of the following best describes the central focus of the Concepts of Aging and Chronic
Illness course?
• A) The care of patients experiencing acute, short-term illnesses
• B) The care of patients experiencing chronic disruptions in health, exploring gerontology and the
principles of aging
• C) The management of pediatric chronic diseases
• D) The surgical management of acute trauma
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The primary goal of NUR 257 is to equip nursing students with the skills and knowledge to
care for older adults with chronic conditions.
Q5: What are Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)?
• A) Basic self-care tasks such as eating and bathing
• B) Skills needed for independent living, such as managing finances, transportation, shopping,
and housework
• C) Physical therapy exercises
• D) Medication administration only
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: IADLs are more complex than basic self-care (ADLs) and are essential for a person to live
safely and independently in a community setting.
Q6: What is the most appropriate nursing action for a client with a chronic venous stasis wound?
• A) Apply a heating pad to the wound twice a day
• B) Instruct the client to avoid crossing their legs and to elevate them when sitting
• C) Massage the wound to stimulate circulation
• D) Have the client stand for long periods to reduce swelling
✅ Correct Answer: B
pg. 2
,3
Rationale: This intervention promotes venous return, reduces edema, and prevents the formation of
new ulcers.
NUR 257 Exam 2: Pharmacology & Polypharmacy
Q1: Polypharmacy is MOST accurately defined as:
• A) Taking two or more medications for the same condition
• B) The prescribing of multiple drugs to treat the same condition, often involving five or more
medications and leading to increased risks of drug interactions and adverse events
• C) The use of herbal supplements with prescription drugs
• D) Taking medication only when symptoms appear
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This definition goes beyond just taking many medications; it highlights the use of multiple
drugs, sometimes from different specialists, to manage often the same or overlapping conditions. This
fragmented approach significantly increases the risk of adverse drug events, interactions, and
non-adherence.
Q2: What is the primary site of drug metabolism (biotransformation) in the body?
• A) The kidneys
• B) The liver
• C) The intestines
• D) The lungs
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Most drugs are chemically modified in the liver to be more easily excreted. Aging reduces
liver mass, blood flow, and enzyme activity, which can slow metabolism.
Q3: Through what primary organ are drugs and their metabolites excreted from the body?
• A) The liver
• B) The skin
• C) The kidneys
• D) The lungs
✅ Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The kidneys are the primary site of drug elimination. Age-related decline in kidney function,
such as a decreased glomerular filtration rate, can cause drugs to accumulate to toxic levels.
pg. 3
, 4
Q4: Pharmacodynamics refers to:
• A) The movement of drugs through the body
• B) The interaction between a drug and the body, describing the medication's effects on the body
• C) The study of drug costs
• D) The absorption of drugs from the gastrointestinal tract
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: With age, the body's response to a drug can change. For example, older adults often have
decreased response to beta-blockers but increased sensitivity to drugs like anticholinergics and
narcotics.
Q5: What does chronopharmacology study?
• A) How drugs affect the sleep-wake cycle
• B) How the timing of drug administration influences a drug's response, aligning with the body's
biological rhythms
• C) The use of drugs to treat chronic pain
• D) The effect of exercise on drug metabolism
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This field studies the relationship between biological rhythms and variations in drug
pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. A common example is taking a corticosteroid early in the
morning to minimize its suppressive effect on the body's natural cortisol production.
Q6: Prescribing multiple medications to treat a single condition is known as:
• A) Polypharmacy
• B) Monotherapy
• C) Chronopharmacology
• D) Drug synergy
✅ Correct Answer: A
Rationale: This is a specific type of polypharmacy where several drugs are used for the same medical
problem, a common issue in older adults with complex care needs.
Q7: Why is drug metabolism often reduced in older adults?
• A) Increased blood flow to the liver
• B) Decreased liver mass and reduced hepatic blood flow & enzyme activity
• C) Increased liver enzyme production
pg. 4
NUR 257 Exams 1–4 Tested Questions &
Answers with Rationales – Aging &
Chronic Illness | (2026/2027) PDF | Galen
NUR 257 Exam 1: Foundations of Aging & Chronic Illness
Q1: You are providing health education for a client who has a chronic venous stasis wound. Which
instruction should the nurse include?
• A) “Apply a heating pad to improve blood flow”
• B) “Refrain from crossing your legs and elevate legs when sitting”
• C) “Massage the area around the wound gently”
• D) “Cross your legs to increase venous pressure”
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Crossing your legs worsens venous problems by obstructing blood flow back to the heart,
which raises blood pressure in the veins and contributes to stasis ulcers. Keeping your legs up helps
blood drain and reduces swelling. Applying heat or massaging the area can damage sensitive tissue or
loosen a blood clot.
Q2: You are planning a staff education conference about IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living).
Which activity should the nurse include as an example?
• A) Bathing and dressing
• B) Shopping, preparing meals, doing housework, and taking medications
• C) Feeding and toileting
• D) Ambulating and transferring
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: IADLs are the more complex skills required for living independently in the community, such as
managing finances, handling transportation, shopping, preparing meals, and taking medications.
Q3: A 65-year-old client reports having multiple sexual partners in the last year and is concerned they
may be HIV positive. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?
• A) Ask them if they have any signs or symptoms of acute infection
• B) Immediately start antiretroviral therapy
pg. 1
,2
• C) Notify all sexual partners without the client’s consent
• D) Tell the client that older adults are not at risk for HIV
✅ Correct Answer: A
Rationale: An assessment is the first step. Older adults are often not screened for HIV, so it's important
to evaluate their symptoms if they express concern. Starting treatment or notifying partners would
come after testing and diagnosis.
Q4: Which of the following best describes the central focus of the Concepts of Aging and Chronic
Illness course?
• A) The care of patients experiencing acute, short-term illnesses
• B) The care of patients experiencing chronic disruptions in health, exploring gerontology and the
principles of aging
• C) The management of pediatric chronic diseases
• D) The surgical management of acute trauma
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The primary goal of NUR 257 is to equip nursing students with the skills and knowledge to
care for older adults with chronic conditions.
Q5: What are Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)?
• A) Basic self-care tasks such as eating and bathing
• B) Skills needed for independent living, such as managing finances, transportation, shopping,
and housework
• C) Physical therapy exercises
• D) Medication administration only
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: IADLs are more complex than basic self-care (ADLs) and are essential for a person to live
safely and independently in a community setting.
Q6: What is the most appropriate nursing action for a client with a chronic venous stasis wound?
• A) Apply a heating pad to the wound twice a day
• B) Instruct the client to avoid crossing their legs and to elevate them when sitting
• C) Massage the wound to stimulate circulation
• D) Have the client stand for long periods to reduce swelling
✅ Correct Answer: B
pg. 2
,3
Rationale: This intervention promotes venous return, reduces edema, and prevents the formation of
new ulcers.
NUR 257 Exam 2: Pharmacology & Polypharmacy
Q1: Polypharmacy is MOST accurately defined as:
• A) Taking two or more medications for the same condition
• B) The prescribing of multiple drugs to treat the same condition, often involving five or more
medications and leading to increased risks of drug interactions and adverse events
• C) The use of herbal supplements with prescription drugs
• D) Taking medication only when symptoms appear
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This definition goes beyond just taking many medications; it highlights the use of multiple
drugs, sometimes from different specialists, to manage often the same or overlapping conditions. This
fragmented approach significantly increases the risk of adverse drug events, interactions, and
non-adherence.
Q2: What is the primary site of drug metabolism (biotransformation) in the body?
• A) The kidneys
• B) The liver
• C) The intestines
• D) The lungs
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Most drugs are chemically modified in the liver to be more easily excreted. Aging reduces
liver mass, blood flow, and enzyme activity, which can slow metabolism.
Q3: Through what primary organ are drugs and their metabolites excreted from the body?
• A) The liver
• B) The skin
• C) The kidneys
• D) The lungs
✅ Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The kidneys are the primary site of drug elimination. Age-related decline in kidney function,
such as a decreased glomerular filtration rate, can cause drugs to accumulate to toxic levels.
pg. 3
, 4
Q4: Pharmacodynamics refers to:
• A) The movement of drugs through the body
• B) The interaction between a drug and the body, describing the medication's effects on the body
• C) The study of drug costs
• D) The absorption of drugs from the gastrointestinal tract
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: With age, the body's response to a drug can change. For example, older adults often have
decreased response to beta-blockers but increased sensitivity to drugs like anticholinergics and
narcotics.
Q5: What does chronopharmacology study?
• A) How drugs affect the sleep-wake cycle
• B) How the timing of drug administration influences a drug's response, aligning with the body's
biological rhythms
• C) The use of drugs to treat chronic pain
• D) The effect of exercise on drug metabolism
✅ Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This field studies the relationship between biological rhythms and variations in drug
pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. A common example is taking a corticosteroid early in the
morning to minimize its suppressive effect on the body's natural cortisol production.
Q6: Prescribing multiple medications to treat a single condition is known as:
• A) Polypharmacy
• B) Monotherapy
• C) Chronopharmacology
• D) Drug synergy
✅ Correct Answer: A
Rationale: This is a specific type of polypharmacy where several drugs are used for the same medical
problem, a common issue in older adults with complex care needs.
Q7: Why is drug metabolism often reduced in older adults?
• A) Increased blood flow to the liver
• B) Decreased liver mass and reduced hepatic blood flow & enzyme activity
• C) Increased liver enzyme production
pg. 4
